docs: def importConnFromExcel (fileName, sheetName):
      ''' Import connectivity rules from Excel sheet'''
      import openpyxl as xl
  
      # set columns
      colPreTags = 0 # 'A'
      colPostTags = 1 # 'B'
      colConnFunc = 2 # 'C'
      colSyn = 3 # 'D'
      colProb = 5 # 'F'
      colWeight = 6 # 'G'
      colAnnot = 8 # 'I' 
  
      outFileName = fileName[:-5]+'_'+sheetName+'.py' # set output file name
  
      connText = """## Generated using importConnFromExcel() function in params/utils.py \n\nnetParams['connParams'] = [] \n\n"""
      
      # open excel file and sheet
      wb = xl.load_workbook(fileName)
      sheet = wb.get_sheet_by_name(sheetName)
      numRows = sheet.get_highest_row()
  
      with open(outFileName, 'w') as f:
          f.write(connText)  # write starting text
          for row in range(1,numRows+1):
              if sheet.cell(row=row, column=colProb).value:  # if not empty row
                  print('Creating conn rule for row ' + str(row))
                  # read row values
                  pre = sheet.cell(row=row, column=colPreTags).value
                  post = sheet.cell(row=row, column=colPostTags).value
                  func = sheet.cell(row=row, column=colConnFunc).value
                  syn = sheet.cell(row=row, column=colSyn).value
                  prob = sheet.cell(row=row, column=colProb).value
                  weight = sheet.cell(row=row, column=colWeight).value
  
                  # write preTags
                  line = "netParams['connParams'].append({'preConds': {"
                  for i,cond in enumerate(pre.split(';')):  # split into different conditions
                      if i>0: line = line + ", "
                      cond2 = cond.split('=')  # split into key and value
                      line = line + "'" + cond2[0].replace(' ','') + "': " + cond2[1].replace(' ','')   # generate line
                  line = line + "}" # end of preTags      
  
                  # write postTags
                  line = line + ",\n'postConds': {"
                  for i,cond in enumerate(post.split(';')):  # split into different conditions
                      if i>0: line = line + ", "
                      cond2 = cond.split('=')  # split into key and value
                      line = line + "'" + cond2[0].replace(' ','') + "': " + cond2[1].replace(' ','')   # generate line
                  line = line + "}" # end of postTags         
                  line = line + ",\n'connFunc': '" + func + "'"  # write connFunc
                  line = line + ",\n'synMech': '" + syn + "'"  # write synReceptor
                  line = line + ",\n'probability': " + str(prob)  # write prob
                  line = line + ",\n'weight': " + str(weight)  # write prob
                  line = line + "})"  # add closing brackets
                  line = line + '\n\n' # new line after each conn rule
                  f.write(line)